Repository: Harvard
University Archives Call No.: UAI 15.850Creator: Dunster, Henry, 1609-1659?Title: Papers of Henry Dunster and the Dunster and Glover families, 1638-1874.Quantity: 1.24 cubic feet (4 folio boxes) Abstract: Henry Dunster (1609-1659?) was the first president of Harvard College, serving from
1640 to 1654. These papers primarily document the business transactions and family
history of members of the Dunster and Glover families during the seventeenth, eighteenth,
and nineteenth centuries. The financial and legal documents provide a partial record
of family property in colonial New England, as well as insight into the legal system
in colonial America. A few documents, including memoranda and reports, provide details
about Dunster's tenure as president of Harvard, early colonial education in New
England, local missionary efforts to educate Native Americans, and operations of the
first printing press in the colonies. Of particular interest is "the List of 1655/6",
considered by some to represent the beginning of American bibliography. Note: This inventory last updated 2015 November 12. Skip introductory information, go directly to list of documents.

This material was first classified and described by the Harvard University Archives
prior to 1980. The collection was re-processed in 2004, with subsequent preparation
for digitization in 2009. Re-processing involved a collection survey, re-housing
in size- and format-appropriate archival folders and boxes, and the creation of this
finding aid. Preparation for digitization involved minor adjustments to the physical
arrangement of the collection, with corresponding updates to the finding aid and the
addition of links to the digital copies.

Henry Dunster was the first president of Harvard, serving from 1640 to 1654.

Dunster, the son of Henry Dunster and Isabel Kaye Dunster, was baptized on November
26, 1609 in Bury, Lancashire, England. He studied at Magdalene College, University
of Cambridge, receiving Bachelor of Arts (1630) and Master of Arts (1634) degrees.
After graduation, he taught at the local free school, served as headmaster of the
Bury Grammar School, and served as minister of Saint Mary’s Church in Bury.

In the summer of 1640, following the outbreak of the Civil War in England, Dunster
emigrated to the English colonies in New England. Soon after his arrival, Dunster
was appointed president of Harvard College on August 27, 1640.

When Dunster arrived at Harvard, the College was in dire financial straits and the
students had left. As president, he oversaw reform of the academic program, including
establishment of a requirement for four years’ residency, introduction of a code of
conduct for students, oversight of construction of the College’s first building,
funding from the General Court as well as from individual donors, and attracting students
back to the College. Perhaps Dunster’s most important action was to secure the College’s
papers of incorporation, approved by the General Court of Massachusetts as the Charter
of 1650. The Charter established the President and Fellows of Harvard College (the
Harvard Corporation) as one of Harvard’s two governing boards.

Dunster was forced to resign from the Harvard presidency in 1654, owing to a dispute
with members of the General Court over the religious validity of infant baptism.

In 1641, Dunster married Elizabeth (Harris) Glover, widow of Joseph Glover.* When
Elizabeth Glover Dunster died in 1643, she left her property, including land and a
printing press, to Dunster, along with shared administrative responsibility for her
estate and five children. Dunster continued to operate the printing business until
1654, when he sold the press to Harvard College.

In 1644, Dunster married Elizabeth Atkinson, with whom he had five children. Henry
Dunster died on February 27, 1658/9**, and is buried in the churchyard of the First
Church of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Elizabeth (Atkinson) Dunster died on September
12, 1690.

*Note regarding Joseph Glover

In documents and published sources, Joseph Glover is also referred to as Jose or Josse
Glover. For consistency, his name has been standardized as Joseph Glover in this
finding aid.

**Note regarding date conventions

Some documents dated between January 1 and
March 25 before 1752 have been cited with the double date convention,
e.g., 1658/9 February 27. This convention was used in England and
the North American colonies between 1582 and 1752. The first date
refers to the year according to the Julian calendar, which began on March 25,
while the second refers to the year according to the Gregorian calendar, which
began on January 1.

References:

Allen, Charles William. I spake the Truth: The Life and Times of Henry Dunster,
Founding President of Harvard University, 1609-1659.
Macon, Nauvoo, Illinois: privately printed, 1990.

Chaplin, Reverend Jeremiah. Life of Henry Dunster, First President of Harvard
College. Boston: James R. Osgood and Company,1872.

Ward, Andrew Henshaw. A genealogical history of the Rice family descendants of
Deacon Edmund Rice, who came from Berkhamstead, England, and settled
at Sudbury, Massachusetts, in 1638 or 9: with an index. Boston: C.B. Richardson, 1858.

Winship, George Parker. The Cambridge Press, 1638-1692: a re-examination of the Evidence concerning the Bay
Psalm Book and the Eliot Indian Bible as well as other contemporary books and people.
Philadelphia: University
of Pennsylvania Press, 1945.

Most of the papers of Henry Dunster and the Dunster and Glover families record business
transactions and other affairs of the Dunster and Glover families. Many items in
the collection, including estate inventories, lists of books printed, income and expense
reports, and lists of household property, were introduced as evidence in the various
lawsuits relating to Henry Dunster's administration of Elizabeth Glover Dunster's
estate. The documents included in the Dunster-Glover lawsuits insight into the workings
of the early colonial legal system, including accounts of testimony, evidence, and
court rulings.

A few documents in the collection relate specifically to Dunster's tenure as president
of Harvard and document his academic reforms, some of which gave significant shape
to the development of American higher education. These documents include:

Memorandum of Henry Dunster, 1653 December

Quadriennium memoir, 1654

Petition of Henry Dunster to the General Court of Massachusetts, 1654 November 4

Dunster's Memorandum of 1653 December provides an assessment of the condition in which
Dunster found Harvard upon his arrival in 1640 and summarizes his activities as president.
The Quadriennium memoir, written by Dunster in 1654, outlines Harvard's implementation
of a four-year residency, similar to the academic program at the University of Cambridge,
England. In his 1654 petition to the General Court, written at the time of his resignation
from Harvard, Dunster requested financial considerations from the Court, including
permission to remain in the president's house until his accounts with the College
were settled. He also requested a reversal of the Court's vote to require an examination
of the accounts of the Glover estate.

In addition to records relating exclusively to educational developments at Harvard,
the collection includes three documents that pertain to the education of Native Americans
and to the printing business in colonial America:

Account of Henry Dunster's expenses for the colony, 1646 October 8

Books printed at Cambridge, 1656 January 26

Testimony of Stephen Day, 1656 April 1

Dunster's account of expenses for the colony refers to his work preparing young Native
American men for college. The list of books printed in Cambridge contains an entry
for an "Indian primmer" printed on the Harvard College printing press, which was originally
operated by the Glover family, and later by Henry Dunster. This press, first in the
colonies, issued among other titles The Freeman's Oath, The Bay Psalm Book, and later the first Bible printed in North America in the Algonquin language known
as the Indian Bible or the Eliot Bible. Stephen Day's testimony of 1656 lists printing
jobs which used paper provided by Joseph Glover.

Along with documents recording Henry Dunster's legal and educational activities, the
seventeenth-century papers also contain a few personal letters to Dunster. Eighteenth
and early nineteenth-century papers, including parish records, letters, leases, and
receipts, record Dunster family history and genealogy in England and the colonies.

The papers are arranged chronologically. Titles were assigned by archivists and generally
correspond to the titles of
published transcriptions or prominent text on the documents themselves.
Dates assigned by archivists appear in brackets.

Insofar as archivists are aware of published transcriptions, the transcription is
cited in the document description below. Principal sources for these transcriptions
are the Publications of the Colonial Society (volume 49), Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, (volume 2, series 4), and Henry Dunster and His Descendants.

Historical Note: Introduced in the Dunster-Glover lawsuit, this document details Stephen Day's indenture
to Joseph Glover in exchange for Day's passage to New England. Day ran the printing press owned by
Glover and subsequently by Dunster. Published transcription in Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, volume 49, pages 3-4.

Historical Note: Details the expenses associated with preparing two Native American young men for college.
Original document is held by the Massachusetts Archives. Published transcription
in Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, volume 49, pages 9-10.

Historical Note: This letter is a brief greeting from Saltonstall to Dunster, with mention of an unnamed
book enclosed as a gift. Published transcription in Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, volume 2, series 4, 1854, page 194.

Historical Note: Facsimile, said to be in Dunster's hand, and written in Latin. Published transcription
in I Spake the Truth, The Life and Times of Henry Dunster, Founding President of Harvard
University, 1609-1659 by Charles William Allen, page 47.

Historical Note: Submitted to the General Court of Massachusetts, this document records the condition
of Harvard College at the time of Dunster’s arrival and his subsequent activities
as president. Published transcription in Appendix E in The Founding of Harvard College, by S.E. Morison, pages [448]-451.

Historical Note: In this document, Dunster argued that Harvard’s newly-adopted requirement of four
years’ residence for a bachelor’s degree was in accordance with the policies of the
University of Cambridge.
Published transcription in Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, volume 31, pages 279-300.

Scope and Content: The document includes Dunster’s statement in Latin, in his handwriting, along with
a report in English by the Reverend Edward Norris on degrees granted by the University
of Oxford.

Historical Note: William Cutter, a former resident of Cambridge, Massachusetts, wrote to Dunster about
personal and political events in England. Published transcription in Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, volume 2, series 4, 1854, pages 195-196.

Historical Note: In this petition, Dunster asked the Court to appoint one person to oversee the increasingly
complex activities involved in the administration of the Glover estate. Published
transcription in Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, volume 49, pages 52-53.

Historical Note: John Appleton married Priscilla Glover, the youngest daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Glover. In his will, Joseph Glover
had bequeathed £400 to each of his three daughters upon marriage or majority, but
by the time of Priscilla’s marriage only £300 remained for her legacy. Appleton sued
Henry Dunster for £100 from the Glover property that Dunster still controlled. Dunster
countersued Appleton for £120 to cover the cost of Priscilla Glover’s education, payment
for which Appleton had purportedly agreed to cover. Appleton eventually recovered
the £100 pound legacy and Dunster was awarded £40 10 s for Priscilla’s education.
Published transcription in Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, volume 49, pages 54-55.

Historical Note: This document may have been written by Thomas Danforth, one of the lawyers for the
Glover family. Published transcription in Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, volume 49, pages 56-58.

Historical Note: In this petition submitted after his resignation, Dunster asked the Court for financial
considerations, including the continued use of the president's house until his accounts
with the College were settled. He also requested a reversal of the Court's vote to
require an examination of the accounts of the Glover estate. Published transcription
in Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, volume 49, pages 60-62.

Historical Note: Letter from Edward Roberts, the Auditor-General of Ireland, inviting Dunster to settle in Ireland following his
resignation from the presidency of Harvard. Published transcription in Collections of the Massachusetts Historical Society, volume 2, series 4, 1854, pages 196-197.

Historical Note: In this petition, Dunster urged the Court’s vigilance in guarding against unfair practices
by creditors making claims on estates. Published transcription in Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, volume 49, pages 63-65.

Historical Note: Thomas Greene may have been Dunster’s cousin. The outline of a sermon, apparently written by Henry
Dunster and dated October 18, 1655, appears on the back of the letter.
Published transcription in Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, volume 49, page 65.

Historical Note: This list of books, including references to volumes such as "the psalm book" and an
“Indian primmer,” and expenses associated with their printing, was compiled for the
Dunster-Glover lawsuit. This list has been referenced to as "the List of 1655/6"
and is considered by some to represent the beginning of American bibliography. Published
transcription in Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, volume 49, pages 67-70.

Historical Note: Records Dunster’s reaction to a suit filed by Stephen Day against the Glover estate.
Published transcription in Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, volume 49, pages 70-71.

Historical Note: In this document, Dunster proposed that an audit of his administration of the property
of John Glover would be more appropriate than a trial by jury. Published transcription
in Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, volume 49, page 73.

Historical Note: Stedman had been employed by the Glovers and was a beneficiary of the Glover estate.
Published transcription in Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, volume 49, page 74.

Historical Note: Bucknam was employed as a servant to Mrs. Glover. Her statement details household
items owned by Mrs. Glover, including silver, linens, and other possessions. Published
transcription in Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, volume 49, pages 76.

Historical Note: : This summary of Dunster’s income and expenses associated with the Glover estate was
prepared as part of the settlement of the Dunster-Glover lawsuit. Published transcription
in Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, volume 49, pages 76-77.

Historical Note : Dunster’s original will was stolen from the probate office in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Published transcription in Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, volume 49, pages 93-96.

Historical Note: : This writ called for the appearance of Dunster’s executors in Salem Court to answer
a suit brought by the administrators of the John Humphries estate. Published transcription
in Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, volume 49, pages 101-102.

Historical Note: : Elizabeth Dunster's petition sought relief from financial obligations incurred as
the result of her son's misconduct. Published transcription in Publications of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, volume 49, pages 102-103.

Historical Note: Jason Dunster (1763-1828) enlisted in the Continental Army at the age of sixteen and
served four years until the end of the Revolutionary War, for which he received a
pension. His widow, Polly (Meriam) Dunster, received a pension as well until her
death in 1858. Published transcription in Henry Dunster and His Descendants by Samuel Dunster, page 259.

Scope and Content: Contains an original letter from the United States War Department regarding Dunster's
claim.

Transcript of baptisms and a marriage in the Dunster family taken from the parish
records of Bury, County of Lancaster, England, 1854 November 20 UAI 15.850 Box 3, Folder 38 Click here for digital copy.